We’ve just returned from the Southampton Boat Show, where we spent a fortune on ocean going Gil outfits so we should both be as warm and dry as possible for our adventure. We toured the sexy new boats, pored over all the gear and I got my geek freak on with Garmin.
We’re thinking about getting some folding bikes to take with us as it opens up the exploring opportunities. Chatting to Pete Hancock from Bickerton portables and we were talking about bike frames & Jim’s involvement. When Trev mentioned Bromwich cycles Pete said … ‘oh, I knew them, it’s not Jim McIlwaine is it?’ So weird to meet someone in a completely unrelated field but still make that connection.
We stopped in a little campsite in Ashurst and ate at an amazing pub called the Happy Cheese. Trev had “the best mixed grill I’ve ever eaten” šššš§š½ great food, reasonably priced and good beer. This morning we were treated to a show from a herd ofNew Forest ponies galloping through the campsite ššš
We did some more serious boat shopping at the used boat show, looking at centre cockpit Beneteau’s, budget blowing Jenneaus and horrific ex-sailing school boats. It’s helped to clarify our thoughts about what we want: storage vs comfort vs performance. And as the budget slowly creeps up and up and potentially sky rockets we are reigning ourselves in (a little) š„āļøš³. We even managed to meet up with Andy and get some advice on a possible boat & get onboard Stargazer for a cheeky coffee break.
This time next week we’ll be in Croatia on an actual boat. We’re both excited, if slightly nervous about being out on our own & sailing together for the first time.
Our Big Boaty Adventure 